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State cites Red Lake nursing Home with 90
violations
By Bill Lawrence
In a 101 page report released on May
26,1993, the Minnesota Department of
Health cited the Red Lake Reservation
Nursing Home, a tribally operated
facility, with 90violations init'sdelivery
of care to 42 elderly residents. The
report which is normally performed on
an annual un-announced basis, is done
to check for compliance with provisions
ofthe Code of Federal Regulations by
nursing homes receiving Medicare and
Medicaid funds. TheRedLakeNursing
Home was found to be out of compliance
in 9of 15 categories of federal standards
that were surveyed in the report.
According to the report, Minnesota
Department of Health personnel
conducted the on site survey ofthe Red
LakeNursingHome, which is also called
the Jourdain/Perpich Extended Care
Facility, on May 11-17,1993.
The survey consisted of review of
resident records, interviews with
residents and staff and observations.
Through-out the survey, the most often
used phase in the Summary Statement
ofDeficienciesto describe each violation
was "that the facility failed to ensure
that'' the specific care was provided or
the resident was deal with in a dignified
or professional manner. Although, all
ninety deficiencies cited in the report
are extremely important, perhaps the
most distressingdealtwith the following
areas: quality of care; quality of life;
abuse; menusandnutritional adequacy;
a safe, clean, sanitary, orderly, and
comfortableenvironment; qualification
and sufficiency of staff; dignity;
grievances and resident rights; resident
comprehensive assessments; resident
comprehensive plans; resident special
needs; resident activities and daily
living; medication errors; infection
control; accidents; clean linens;
physicians services; clinical records;
quality assessment and assurance; and
physicians supervision and delegation
of tasks.
In addition, the survey was highly
criticalofmanagementofthefacilityby
the administrator and the governing
body. The survey also criticized the
facilities governing body for lack of
written policies and procedures for the
management and operation of the
facility. The facilities governingbody is
the Red Lake Tribal Council. The Press
attempted to contact Red Lake Tribal
Health Director Oren Beaulieu for
comment on the report but he failed to
return thecall. ThePressalsoattempted
to contact Red Lake Nursing Home
Acting Director Mark Stolte, several
times but he did not return the calls
either.
To get an idea of just how bad the
situation is at the Red Lake Nursing
Home, the Press asked Scott Wyatt,
supervisor for the Minnesota
Department of Health Survey and
Review Unit in Bemidji to give us a
comparison to what he has experienced
in surveys at other regional nursing
homes. Mr. Wyatt told the Press that
theirsurveys ofother area nursing homes
which average about 80 beds usually
findaaverageof 7or8 violations. When
compared to the 90 violations found at
the 47 bed Red Lake facility, you can get
some idea of the magnitude of the
problem. In one part of the survey, a
Minnesota Department ofHealth staffer
asked a resident what happens when
Red Lake Tribal Council donates $10,000 to Thief River Falls/Page 6
AIRFA bill introduced to Senate floor/ Page 1
Red Lake Geology discussed/ Page 3
Indian Chamber of Commerce hosts banquet/ Page 4
Bill Means caught up in Guatemala coup/ Page 1
Minneapolis Police Chief addresses Indian issues/ Page 1
The Largest: Weekly Native Newspaper in North America
[
The
Native
American
i
Report/See Page 3
Native Americans Searching for Life
We Support: Equal Opportunity For All People
St. Paul, MN ~ Sean Parsons is a
normal 11-year-old boy-he loves
sports, takes pride in his honor roll
academics and has lots of friends. But
his activity level has dwindled since
he's undergone chemotherapy for
chronic myelogenous leukemia. And
he will die if he doesn't get a life-
saving bone marrow transplant.
Sean is a Native American living
on the Cattaraugus Indian
Reservation. He has been searching
for a volunteer unrelated marrow
donor fora lifesavingtransplant since
his diagnosis last spring, but has been
unable to find one. His best chance of
a match is among Native Americans.
Leukemia strikes Native
Americans at the same rate as the rest
of the population, but there are not
enough Native American volunteers
on the National Marrow Donor
Program (NMDP) Registry to give
these patients a chance at life.
What many people don't know is
that they can help their Native
American brothers and sisters with
leukemia and other blood diseases by
providing a small amount (equal to
two tablespoons) ofblood for marrow
typing—that two tablespoons is all it
takes to be entered onto the Registry.
Another fact not widely known is that
because Native Americans are still a
Founded In 1991
Volume 3 Issue 3
MayZB,1993
tribal people kin are known back for
generations, there is a very good
chance to find matches among
relations and tribe members.
The unique characteristics of an
individual's marrow are inherited in
the same way one inherits skin, eye
and hair color. This means that when
no match is found among the patient's
brothers and sisters, the best chance
of finding a matching donor is with
someone from the same ethnic
background. In most cases, a Native
American's best hope of finding a
perfect match is with another Native
Marrow/See Page 3
Copyright, The Native
1993
Legislators introducing bills that severely
modify the Indian Gaming Act
By Mel Rasmussen
Yesterday several legislators from
the states of Nevada and New Jersey
introduced legislation that will have
a major impact on gaming issues.
This will start a legislative process to
severely restrict and modify the Indian
Gaming Act of 1988. According to
legislative sources legislators from
both the House and Senate from New
Jersey and Nevada have introduces
this negative impacting legislation.
The purpose of these bills is to
severely modify the brand new
National Indian Gaming Commission
and the state rights and tribal rights in
gaming. These are the rights that
states have in making compacts with
the various tribes. It was felt that by
political pressure by Inouye and
McCain will help reduce any possible
damage to the existing Gaming Act.
According to Senate Staffers on the
Indian Affairs Senate Select
committee indicated that there has
been a growing movement of
paternalism within the Senate and
the House to control and dominate
over the issues and business of the
Native American affairs. This is th?
crux ofan issue ihat hat, boiling 10 • af
forefront. This is the issue of
sovereignty and how will the United
States will deal with the growing
issues of Tribal Sovereignty.
Photo courtesy ofMinnesota Historical society
Portrayed is the parching phase of Wild Rice Preparation at the Historical Society.
MHS opens exhibit on wildricing utilizing
Indian Activists caught in Guatemala state ofthe art museum technology
insurrection
By Mel Rasmussen
Bill Means, the Executive Director
American Indian Opportunities
Industrialization Center ofMinneapolis,
along with several other prominent
Native American activists were
embroiled and caught in the coup that
occurred this week in Guatemala. Means
was in attendance at a International
Summit of Indigenous Americans that
was held in Guatemala over the
weekend.
According to sources who have been
in contact with Means who is in South
Dakota at the present, stated that he
managed to get out ofthe country on the
morning ofthe coup. Means stated that
he woke up and heard nothing but
music on the radio and was
immediately suspicious of the
activities on the radio and in the city.
Means left the hotel and took a cab to
the airport. While in transit to the
airport hiscabencountered roadblocks
that had been set up by the military.
Means directed his cabbie not to stop
and to go around the blockades.
Apparently the military did not really
try and force their blockades and
Means was able to leave the country
unscathed.
However, while Means was allowed
to fly to safety several of his
companions have not been heard from
as of yet. This included the Nobel
Peace Prize winner, Rogoberto
Menchu, Ms. Ingrid Washiniwatuk,
Menominee Nation, Ms. Barbara Owl,
of L'Anse Band, Michigan.
A Reuters news release stated that
the current president suspended the
current government and joined with
the military to form a coup that would
in their estimation eliminate the graft
and corruption within the country of
Guatemala. The new government
indicated that the current summit
meeting would be disbanded and that
the delegates from around the world
would be allowed to leave. As of this
date no further information has become
available as to the safety ofthe numerous
delegates from North America.
HennepinCountyCommissionerMcLaughlin
is shunned by Community
By Mel Rasmussen
After the last protest march to the
seats of government the Detox
Coalition and its members met with
various county and local officials.
One of these members who met with
the coalition and started to address
them was Peter Mclaughlin, Hennepin
County Commissioner. In various
contacts with members of the
Community there opinions of Peter
Mclaughlin dropped to an all time
low. One person stated flatly that
Mclaughlin was shunned by the
community.
One such person stated that because
Mclaughlin in the Hennepin Detox Mclaughlin was not like one of just
issue he has lost face with the Native rising in anger. The mood of the
American community. During this entire episode was eerie as it became
meeting time Mclaughlin got up to clear that the community had moved
address the gathered members ofthe in the direction of shunning.
Native American community. As he Mclaughlin was presented with the
started to talk people started to get up message that he failed the Indian
from their chairs and walk out on his community with his flippant actions
presentation. It is understood that of blowing off the issues ofthe Detox
approximately 200 people got up and center and the needs of this Indian
left him standing at the podium community,
speaking to empty chairs. It took Mclaughlin since this meeting has
approximately 5 minutes for the group been apprised of this community
to clear the room. However, Irene action. This message has come from
Wade remained in place and several different sources and he has
harangued Mclaughlin and his also been told how he must regain the
positions on the Detox issues. The
By Sara Lawrence
On June 5th and 6th the Minnesota Historical Society is opening an
exhibit that will highlight one ofthe
many contributions made by Native
Americans to the history and culture
ofMinnesota. Made possible by major funding from the National
Endowment for the Humanities,
Manoonimikewin: Stories of Wild
Ricing is an interactive exhibit that
does away with the notion of peering
at glass cases for a one-dimensional
museum experience.
For many Native American people
living in Minnesota, wild rice was ~
and is - not only a food but a way of
life. Wild rice has its place in the
cycle ofthe seasons; its harvest has its
own rhythm. Each stage of the harvest requires a special skill perfected
by generations. In a state which produces over 5 million pounds of grain
every year wild rice continues to be
important, but issues surrounding the
industry have created problems and
controversy. This exhibit looks at the
harvest, consumption, and commerce
of this tiny, aquatic seed.
Exhibit Curator Christopher Miller
has worked closely with the Society's
Indian Advisory Committee in developing this exhibit. The Committee
includes Jody Beaulieu of Red Lake,
Marilyn Goodwin of White Earth,
Cheryl Kauppi of Grand Portage, Jeff
Savage of Fond du Lac, Joseph
Campbell of Prairie Island, Nora
Hakala from Indian Education ofthe
State Department of Education, and
Betty Green Crow of St. Paul.
This committee along with state of
the art museum technology has created a "sensory experience" of
wildricing including activities for the
eyes, ears, hands, and feet. Not only
does one see life-size photography of
the people, places, and tools of ricing,
visitors can see the pictures come to
life by spending time at one of the
several video stations. These videos
present one to four minute footage of
traditional ricing with an emphasis
on the sounds of ricing. The visitor
will be captured by the clarity ofthe
sounds, making one feel as if he was
right there in the canoe. In addition,
visitors can "dance the rice," breaking the hulls with their feet to remove
the grains.
Other features include a dramatic
diorama inspired by PerchLake, near
Cloquet, Minnesota, which recreates
the ricing setting with a 38-foot panorama of the lake, a
turn-of-the-century birchbark canoe,
and 1,500 painstakingly reproduced
rice piants. The exhibit also looks at
ricing as farming and commerce for
non-Indians in Minnesota with videos and displays of combines
harvesting wild rice paddies and information about the different kinds of
wild rice -cultivated, natural, hand-
harvested, or machine-harvested.
The main theme, of the exhibit,
however, is ricing as a part of Ojibwe
culture - both as a food and as a
tradition, past and present. Exhibit
Curator Christopher Miller hopes
visitors will gain an insight into other
aspects of Minnesota's history
through the story of this unique grain:
"Wild ricing serves as an excellent
case study of how a single type of
work becomes entangled in all aspects of life. This is an exhibit about
a process, not a product. Like history
itself, wild ricing in Minnesota is not
something static and ancient, but
rather a dynamic force that still has
relevance for the present."
Native American Religious Freedom Act
introduced to the Senate
One such person stated tnat Because pusiuum u« u* i^um. iOOUta. iuC
of the lack of concern shown by actions by the crowd in shunning DetOX/See Page 3
Minneapolis Police Chief Laux calls for
Administrative Hearing for Officers
By Mel Rasmussen
Minneapolis Police Chief John Laux
stated today that a administrative
hearing will be scheduled for the two
officers who were involved with the
"Indians in the Trunk Affair". According
to Sgt. Phil Van Tassel, an aide to Chief
Laux. This administrative hearing will
be thevehicleinwhichthedetermi nation
ofthe officers conduct will bedetermined
and their fitness for duty to serve as
officers will be judged.
Van Tassel stated that this procedure
has been developedfromanewstate law
thathasbeenineffectforapproximately
the last eighteen months and is based on
aMinnesota Statute known as the Police
rights. It spells out what administrative
procedures that employers must follow
in any disciplinary action. Part of this is
the notification of a hearing and it
allows the officer to the right to prepare
a defense in his behalf.
Van Tassel was asked about the
apparent increase of activity that has
Officers Discipline Act and is better
known as the police officers bill of JLaUX/See Page 5
By Mel Rasmussen
On May 25,1993 the Native American Religious Freedom Act was
introduced to the Senate by Senators
Paul Wellstone, (MN) and Senator
Dan Inouye, (HI). The bill was renamed as the Native American Free
Exercise of Religion Act of 1993
(NAFERA).
Wellstone stated in his remarks to
the United States Senate that Senator
Inouye was to be congratulated not
only for the leadership role in producing this legislation but also for the
great deal of time that he personally
spent on the road meeting with the
various Native Americans in this
country.
Throughout the hearings that were
held across the country it was noted
that one theme came clearly to light.
It was succinctly stated by Wellstone
in his statement to the Senate. He
stated, "Our traditional understanding of how to protect religious
freedom, based on a European understanding of religion, is insufficient to
protect the rights ofthe First Americans. I believe that the bill we are
introducing today will move this country toward a broader definition of
religion and, in doing so, make it
possible for all Americans to enjoy
the freedom to worship in their own
manner."
A quote by an anthropologist, Jack
Weatherford of Macaiester College
in Minnesota was also quoted in the
statement. Its contents related directly
to the concerns ofthe Native American community and their struggles
for honoring of their rights and dignity involved in this legislation.
Weatherford stated,' 'Of all the spiritual suffering a people can undergo,
the separation from traditional religious sites seems to be one ofthe most
painful and often one of the most
difficult tojustify by any government.
For religions such as Judaism, Islam,
Taoism, Hinduism and Christianity,
the sacred site usually is a temple,
church, monastery or shrine. For the
Native peoples who follow traditional
ways of worship, the site more often is
a sacred brook, a quiet forest, a rocky
promontory, a special lake or some
NAFERA/SeePage3
!

Content and images in this collection may be reproduced and used freely without written permission only for educational purposes. Any other use requires the express written consent of Bemidji State University and the Associated Press. All uses require an acknowledgment of the source of the work.

State cites Red Lake nursing Home with 90
violations
By Bill Lawrence
In a 101 page report released on May
26,1993, the Minnesota Department of
Health cited the Red Lake Reservation
Nursing Home, a tribally operated
facility, with 90violations init'sdelivery
of care to 42 elderly residents. The
report which is normally performed on
an annual un-announced basis, is done
to check for compliance with provisions
ofthe Code of Federal Regulations by
nursing homes receiving Medicare and
Medicaid funds. TheRedLakeNursing
Home was found to be out of compliance
in 9of 15 categories of federal standards
that were surveyed in the report.
According to the report, Minnesota
Department of Health personnel
conducted the on site survey ofthe Red
LakeNursingHome, which is also called
the Jourdain/Perpich Extended Care
Facility, on May 11-17,1993.
The survey consisted of review of
resident records, interviews with
residents and staff and observations.
Through-out the survey, the most often
used phase in the Summary Statement
ofDeficienciesto describe each violation
was "that the facility failed to ensure
that'' the specific care was provided or
the resident was deal with in a dignified
or professional manner. Although, all
ninety deficiencies cited in the report
are extremely important, perhaps the
most distressingdealtwith the following
areas: quality of care; quality of life;
abuse; menusandnutritional adequacy;
a safe, clean, sanitary, orderly, and
comfortableenvironment; qualification
and sufficiency of staff; dignity;
grievances and resident rights; resident
comprehensive assessments; resident
comprehensive plans; resident special
needs; resident activities and daily
living; medication errors; infection
control; accidents; clean linens;
physicians services; clinical records;
quality assessment and assurance; and
physicians supervision and delegation
of tasks.
In addition, the survey was highly
criticalofmanagementofthefacilityby
the administrator and the governing
body. The survey also criticized the
facilities governing body for lack of
written policies and procedures for the
management and operation of the
facility. The facilities governingbody is
the Red Lake Tribal Council. The Press
attempted to contact Red Lake Tribal
Health Director Oren Beaulieu for
comment on the report but he failed to
return thecall. ThePressalsoattempted
to contact Red Lake Nursing Home
Acting Director Mark Stolte, several
times but he did not return the calls
either.
To get an idea of just how bad the
situation is at the Red Lake Nursing
Home, the Press asked Scott Wyatt,
supervisor for the Minnesota
Department of Health Survey and
Review Unit in Bemidji to give us a
comparison to what he has experienced
in surveys at other regional nursing
homes. Mr. Wyatt told the Press that
theirsurveys ofother area nursing homes
which average about 80 beds usually
findaaverageof 7or8 violations. When
compared to the 90 violations found at
the 47 bed Red Lake facility, you can get
some idea of the magnitude of the
problem. In one part of the survey, a
Minnesota Department ofHealth staffer
asked a resident what happens when
Red Lake Tribal Council donates $10,000 to Thief River Falls/Page 6
AIRFA bill introduced to Senate floor/ Page 1
Red Lake Geology discussed/ Page 3
Indian Chamber of Commerce hosts banquet/ Page 4
Bill Means caught up in Guatemala coup/ Page 1
Minneapolis Police Chief addresses Indian issues/ Page 1
The Largest: Weekly Native Newspaper in North America
[
The
Native
American
i
Report/See Page 3
Native Americans Searching for Life
We Support: Equal Opportunity For All People
St. Paul, MN ~ Sean Parsons is a
normal 11-year-old boy-he loves
sports, takes pride in his honor roll
academics and has lots of friends. But
his activity level has dwindled since
he's undergone chemotherapy for
chronic myelogenous leukemia. And
he will die if he doesn't get a life-
saving bone marrow transplant.
Sean is a Native American living
on the Cattaraugus Indian
Reservation. He has been searching
for a volunteer unrelated marrow
donor fora lifesavingtransplant since
his diagnosis last spring, but has been
unable to find one. His best chance of
a match is among Native Americans.
Leukemia strikes Native
Americans at the same rate as the rest
of the population, but there are not
enough Native American volunteers
on the National Marrow Donor
Program (NMDP) Registry to give
these patients a chance at life.
What many people don't know is
that they can help their Native
American brothers and sisters with
leukemia and other blood diseases by
providing a small amount (equal to
two tablespoons) ofblood for marrow
typing—that two tablespoons is all it
takes to be entered onto the Registry.
Another fact not widely known is that
because Native Americans are still a
Founded In 1991
Volume 3 Issue 3
MayZB,1993
tribal people kin are known back for
generations, there is a very good
chance to find matches among
relations and tribe members.
The unique characteristics of an
individual's marrow are inherited in
the same way one inherits skin, eye
and hair color. This means that when
no match is found among the patient's
brothers and sisters, the best chance
of finding a matching donor is with
someone from the same ethnic
background. In most cases, a Native
American's best hope of finding a
perfect match is with another Native
Marrow/See Page 3
Copyright, The Native
1993
Legislators introducing bills that severely
modify the Indian Gaming Act
By Mel Rasmussen
Yesterday several legislators from
the states of Nevada and New Jersey
introduced legislation that will have
a major impact on gaming issues.
This will start a legislative process to
severely restrict and modify the Indian
Gaming Act of 1988. According to
legislative sources legislators from
both the House and Senate from New
Jersey and Nevada have introduces
this negative impacting legislation.
The purpose of these bills is to
severely modify the brand new
National Indian Gaming Commission
and the state rights and tribal rights in
gaming. These are the rights that
states have in making compacts with
the various tribes. It was felt that by
political pressure by Inouye and
McCain will help reduce any possible
damage to the existing Gaming Act.
According to Senate Staffers on the
Indian Affairs Senate Select
committee indicated that there has
been a growing movement of
paternalism within the Senate and
the House to control and dominate
over the issues and business of the
Native American affairs. This is th?
crux ofan issue ihat hat, boiling 10 • af
forefront. This is the issue of
sovereignty and how will the United
States will deal with the growing
issues of Tribal Sovereignty.
Photo courtesy ofMinnesota Historical society
Portrayed is the parching phase of Wild Rice Preparation at the Historical Society.
MHS opens exhibit on wildricing utilizing
Indian Activists caught in Guatemala state ofthe art museum technology
insurrection
By Mel Rasmussen
Bill Means, the Executive Director
American Indian Opportunities
Industrialization Center ofMinneapolis,
along with several other prominent
Native American activists were
embroiled and caught in the coup that
occurred this week in Guatemala. Means
was in attendance at a International
Summit of Indigenous Americans that
was held in Guatemala over the
weekend.
According to sources who have been
in contact with Means who is in South
Dakota at the present, stated that he
managed to get out ofthe country on the
morning ofthe coup. Means stated that
he woke up and heard nothing but
music on the radio and was
immediately suspicious of the
activities on the radio and in the city.
Means left the hotel and took a cab to
the airport. While in transit to the
airport hiscabencountered roadblocks
that had been set up by the military.
Means directed his cabbie not to stop
and to go around the blockades.
Apparently the military did not really
try and force their blockades and
Means was able to leave the country
unscathed.
However, while Means was allowed
to fly to safety several of his
companions have not been heard from
as of yet. This included the Nobel
Peace Prize winner, Rogoberto
Menchu, Ms. Ingrid Washiniwatuk,
Menominee Nation, Ms. Barbara Owl,
of L'Anse Band, Michigan.
A Reuters news release stated that
the current president suspended the
current government and joined with
the military to form a coup that would
in their estimation eliminate the graft
and corruption within the country of
Guatemala. The new government
indicated that the current summit
meeting would be disbanded and that
the delegates from around the world
would be allowed to leave. As of this
date no further information has become
available as to the safety ofthe numerous
delegates from North America.
HennepinCountyCommissionerMcLaughlin
is shunned by Community
By Mel Rasmussen
After the last protest march to the
seats of government the Detox
Coalition and its members met with
various county and local officials.
One of these members who met with
the coalition and started to address
them was Peter Mclaughlin, Hennepin
County Commissioner. In various
contacts with members of the
Community there opinions of Peter
Mclaughlin dropped to an all time
low. One person stated flatly that
Mclaughlin was shunned by the
community.
One such person stated that because
Mclaughlin in the Hennepin Detox Mclaughlin was not like one of just
issue he has lost face with the Native rising in anger. The mood of the
American community. During this entire episode was eerie as it became
meeting time Mclaughlin got up to clear that the community had moved
address the gathered members ofthe in the direction of shunning.
Native American community. As he Mclaughlin was presented with the
started to talk people started to get up message that he failed the Indian
from their chairs and walk out on his community with his flippant actions
presentation. It is understood that of blowing off the issues ofthe Detox
approximately 200 people got up and center and the needs of this Indian
left him standing at the podium community,
speaking to empty chairs. It took Mclaughlin since this meeting has
approximately 5 minutes for the group been apprised of this community
to clear the room. However, Irene action. This message has come from
Wade remained in place and several different sources and he has
harangued Mclaughlin and his also been told how he must regain the
positions on the Detox issues. The
By Sara Lawrence
On June 5th and 6th the Minnesota Historical Society is opening an
exhibit that will highlight one ofthe
many contributions made by Native
Americans to the history and culture
ofMinnesota. Made possible by major funding from the National
Endowment for the Humanities,
Manoonimikewin: Stories of Wild
Ricing is an interactive exhibit that
does away with the notion of peering
at glass cases for a one-dimensional
museum experience.
For many Native American people
living in Minnesota, wild rice was ~
and is - not only a food but a way of
life. Wild rice has its place in the
cycle ofthe seasons; its harvest has its
own rhythm. Each stage of the harvest requires a special skill perfected
by generations. In a state which produces over 5 million pounds of grain
every year wild rice continues to be
important, but issues surrounding the
industry have created problems and
controversy. This exhibit looks at the
harvest, consumption, and commerce
of this tiny, aquatic seed.
Exhibit Curator Christopher Miller
has worked closely with the Society's
Indian Advisory Committee in developing this exhibit. The Committee
includes Jody Beaulieu of Red Lake,
Marilyn Goodwin of White Earth,
Cheryl Kauppi of Grand Portage, Jeff
Savage of Fond du Lac, Joseph
Campbell of Prairie Island, Nora
Hakala from Indian Education ofthe
State Department of Education, and
Betty Green Crow of St. Paul.
This committee along with state of
the art museum technology has created a "sensory experience" of
wildricing including activities for the
eyes, ears, hands, and feet. Not only
does one see life-size photography of
the people, places, and tools of ricing,
visitors can see the pictures come to
life by spending time at one of the
several video stations. These videos
present one to four minute footage of
traditional ricing with an emphasis
on the sounds of ricing. The visitor
will be captured by the clarity ofthe
sounds, making one feel as if he was
right there in the canoe. In addition,
visitors can "dance the rice," breaking the hulls with their feet to remove
the grains.
Other features include a dramatic
diorama inspired by PerchLake, near
Cloquet, Minnesota, which recreates
the ricing setting with a 38-foot panorama of the lake, a
turn-of-the-century birchbark canoe,
and 1,500 painstakingly reproduced
rice piants. The exhibit also looks at
ricing as farming and commerce for
non-Indians in Minnesota with videos and displays of combines
harvesting wild rice paddies and information about the different kinds of
wild rice -cultivated, natural, hand-
harvested, or machine-harvested.
The main theme, of the exhibit,
however, is ricing as a part of Ojibwe
culture - both as a food and as a
tradition, past and present. Exhibit
Curator Christopher Miller hopes
visitors will gain an insight into other
aspects of Minnesota's history
through the story of this unique grain:
"Wild ricing serves as an excellent
case study of how a single type of
work becomes entangled in all aspects of life. This is an exhibit about
a process, not a product. Like history
itself, wild ricing in Minnesota is not
something static and ancient, but
rather a dynamic force that still has
relevance for the present."
Native American Religious Freedom Act
introduced to the Senate
One such person stated tnat Because pusiuum u« u* i^um. iOOUta. iuC
of the lack of concern shown by actions by the crowd in shunning DetOX/See Page 3
Minneapolis Police Chief Laux calls for
Administrative Hearing for Officers
By Mel Rasmussen
Minneapolis Police Chief John Laux
stated today that a administrative
hearing will be scheduled for the two
officers who were involved with the
"Indians in the Trunk Affair". According
to Sgt. Phil Van Tassel, an aide to Chief
Laux. This administrative hearing will
be thevehicleinwhichthedetermi nation
ofthe officers conduct will bedetermined
and their fitness for duty to serve as
officers will be judged.
Van Tassel stated that this procedure
has been developedfromanewstate law
thathasbeenineffectforapproximately
the last eighteen months and is based on
aMinnesota Statute known as the Police
rights. It spells out what administrative
procedures that employers must follow
in any disciplinary action. Part of this is
the notification of a hearing and it
allows the officer to the right to prepare
a defense in his behalf.
Van Tassel was asked about the
apparent increase of activity that has
Officers Discipline Act and is better
known as the police officers bill of JLaUX/See Page 5
By Mel Rasmussen
On May 25,1993 the Native American Religious Freedom Act was
introduced to the Senate by Senators
Paul Wellstone, (MN) and Senator
Dan Inouye, (HI). The bill was renamed as the Native American Free
Exercise of Religion Act of 1993
(NAFERA).
Wellstone stated in his remarks to
the United States Senate that Senator
Inouye was to be congratulated not
only for the leadership role in producing this legislation but also for the
great deal of time that he personally
spent on the road meeting with the
various Native Americans in this
country.
Throughout the hearings that were
held across the country it was noted
that one theme came clearly to light.
It was succinctly stated by Wellstone
in his statement to the Senate. He
stated, "Our traditional understanding of how to protect religious
freedom, based on a European understanding of religion, is insufficient to
protect the rights ofthe First Americans. I believe that the bill we are
introducing today will move this country toward a broader definition of
religion and, in doing so, make it
possible for all Americans to enjoy
the freedom to worship in their own
manner."
A quote by an anthropologist, Jack
Weatherford of Macaiester College
in Minnesota was also quoted in the
statement. Its contents related directly
to the concerns ofthe Native American community and their struggles
for honoring of their rights and dignity involved in this legislation.
Weatherford stated,' 'Of all the spiritual suffering a people can undergo,
the separation from traditional religious sites seems to be one ofthe most
painful and often one of the most
difficult tojustify by any government.
For religions such as Judaism, Islam,
Taoism, Hinduism and Christianity,
the sacred site usually is a temple,
church, monastery or shrine. For the
Native peoples who follow traditional
ways of worship, the site more often is
a sacred brook, a quiet forest, a rocky
promontory, a special lake or some
NAFERA/SeePage3
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